Update: I was torquing head bolts wrong for a solid year

I was doing a rebuild on a 6.7 Powerstroke last week, and the owner mentioned his last engine only lasted 40k miles after a similar job. I asked who did it, and he just stared at me. That's when I realized I'd been using the torque-to-yield specs from the old 7.3L manual on these newer engines, basically under-torquing every single one. I went back and checked my notes, and I'd done it on at least eight motors. I feel like a total idiot. Has anyone else ever mixed up specs between generations that badly?

2 comments

2 Comments

richard_roberts802d ago

Honestly, that "torque-to-yield specs from the old 7.3L manual" part got me. It's so easy to get stuck in your ways with a routine. I bet a bunch of those motors were running with head gaskets that were just barely hanging on, which explains the short life. You gotta have the right manual open right next to you, every single time.

spencerw722d ago

My old 7.3 manual is basically a coffee coaster now.